Acts 6:8 New Living Translation
8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.
What is it that made way for miracles and signs to be performed through Stephen? Was it because he was an apostle? No. It was because his life was filled with God’s grace and power. God’s grace makes everything possible. It is His divine favor upon our lives and is not there because we have deserved it or earned it.
God’s grace rests on us because of our faith in Jesus Christ alone. But based on the description of Stephen here I believe that Stephen was a man of prayer and a man of God’s presence. His time spent with the Lord had prepared him to lay down his life faithfully for the name of Jesus Christ.
Our ability to do anything for God and His kingdom is not based on our wisdom, intelligence, strength, or own power. It has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with how closely we walk with Christ and how much time we truly spend in prayer. Great works of God require great prayer. Here we see that signs and miracles were evident in Stephen’s life and I truly believe it was because Stephen’s life was dedicated to Christ and he followed Jesus with abandon.
The word power here is the Greek word dynamis and means power, deed of power. Literally, it describes the ability to perform an activity; by extension, it refers to someone in a position of power or the force of a person’s action.[1] Stephen’s ability to perform miracles and signs was given by God. The Spirit of God filled the life of Stephen, and the working of signs and miracles was simply and overflow of the presence and work of The Holy Spirit.
Stephen wasn’t a superhero. He wasn’t a super apostle. He wasn’t even an apostle. He was simply a servant of Jesus Christ. He was the first martyr in the book of Acts. His ability to stand in the strength and power of the Lord was simply due to the grace of God and this is what is available to you and I every day. Every moment that we live we have the ability to fellowship and commune with The Holy Spirit. There are people all around us who need Jesus, and God desires to use me and you to share the gospel with them.
Today rely fully on the grace of God. Seek to be filled with God’s grace and power. Believe for the impossible because all things are possible to him or her who believes. Nothing is impossible because The God of all creation lives in us when we come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Desired to be filled daily and to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Prayer
Father thank you for saving me. Thank you for The Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit fill me a fresh every day. Help me to be your hands, feet, and mouth to those who are lost and broken. Help me to share the gospel. To be led by you in all things. Jesus be glorified in every area of my life. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
Reflection:
1. What is God teaching you about His grace in this season?
2. What challenges is God using to shape and mold you?
3. What areas have you seen the greatest growth in in your life?
[1] Eric Lewellen, “Miracles,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
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